Drowning
by pell mell 31
Summary: Something's missing from Holly's life - turns out it's our favorite Mud Boy, Arty. But he's completely forgotten her-and everyone knows a human and a fairy can't be in love. Or can they? Set after EC. Ch6 Butler gives Artemis some words of advice.
1. Out With the Truth

~ Drowning ~  
  
A/N: Yep, you guessed it . . . Holly/Artemis. Duh, what other pairing do you possibly think I would write about?? Erm . . . please review, even if you don't support this pairing. Heh heh . . . thanks.  
  
This takes place after Eternity Code. I was appalled by the ending of the book. I'm SO glad to know that there IS in fact going to be a fourth book. I am mad at Eoin Colfer . . . for being such a dang good author! He's better than me! No fair. *pouts*  
  
Disclaimer: Evidently, Eoin Colfer owns everything. Except for this computer. I'm proud to say I own that. Oh wait-never mind, it's my dad's. Ah well. On with the story.  
  
CHAPTER ONE +++ Out Comes the Truth  
  
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"You let them take it all away from me," the pale-faced boy said, voice devoid of emotion. "They took it all away, and you let them."  
  
Holly shivered. "I'm sorry. I didn't want it to be this way."  
  
"Too bad. You let them. It is this way," the boy replied coldly.  
  
"Artemis, it's not my fault!" Holly defended herself. "If I could have changed things, I would've!"  
  
The boy's face suddenly changed. Before he had looked cold and unmoving. Now he looked blank and innocent.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, a clueless expression on his face. "How do you know my name?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Holly asked frantically. "I'm Holly! Holly Short!"  
  
The boy furrowed his dark brow. "I don't know you . . ."  
  
"Yes you do!" Holly screamed. "When you were twelve, you kidnapped me and held me for ransom! When you were thirteen, I helped save your father and your bodyguard! Butler! Remember?"  
  
"Butler never needed to be saved . . ." the boy said slowly.  
  
"Yes! He was shot by Arno Blunt! Come on, Artemis, you gotta remember!" Holly pleaded.  
  
"What . . . are you talking about . . ."  
  
"I'm a fairy! An elf! A sprite! Remember? Remember the Book? Remember the C Cube? Remember the coin?" Holly's hazel eyes roved over the boy's neck, but the coin wasn't there.  
  
"You aren't real," Artemis said, backing away. "I don't know who you are. You're just a hallucination. A figment of my imagination."  
  
"ARTEMIS FOWL! I'M REAL! I'M HERE, STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES! WHY DON'T YOU REMEMBER ME?"  
  
"Because," Artemis Fowl replied, a malicious grin on his pale face, "you let them mind-wipe me."  
  
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Holly woke up crying.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm sorry, Artemis!"  
  
The elf just lay in bed for a few moments, quietly sobbing, trying to register in her mind that it was a dream. Yes, Artemis had been mind-wiped. No, he was not angry at her. How could he be? He didn't even remember a thing about her.  
  
But as Holly thought about it, maybe that was what was making her so dang depressed.  
  
Because it was true. Artemis didn't remember her. He never would.  
  
Sighing, she pulled herself out of bed. Usually, at this time, she was all revved up and ready for work. Lately, however, her job as a captain at the LEP had been oddly dissatisfying. First off, it was plain boring. Nothing was going on; there were no criminals to be arrested, or rogue trolls to be controlled. As a matter of fact, the LEP was getting it easy.  
  
Another reason that Holly had lost the joy in work was because to her it felt like something was missing; something very important indeed. What it was, she didn't know. What she did know was that the chances of her ever reclaiming this missing something were slim.  
  
Commander Root hadn't made it any easier. Apparently, life for him was going swell. After the successful mind-wipe of Artemis Fowl, he and Foaly had both been given medals of honor for finally removing the People's worst threat. Oddly enough, Holly wasn't happy for them.  
  
Foaly was coming up with new and better technology every day, and he was getting a much higher salary. This was indeed strange, since for the last year and a half, nothing much had been going on, and advanced technology wasn't even needed.  
  
For Holly, everything seemed wrong, dreadfully wrong. No one ELSE appeared to be missing an important part of themselves. Everyone else seemed just fine. But NO, Holly Short couldn't get a break even after her worst enemy was gone.  
  
Or was he her worst enemy . . .?  
  
They had been friends. Despite what she had told herself repeatedly, Artemis Fowl and Holly Short had been friends. They had worked together, they had managed to have civil conversations with each other, they had helped each other. That's why the mind-wipe was taking its toll on Holly; she had actually had something to lose. As for Root, Foaly, and the Council, only good could come out of completely brainwashing the criminal mastermind.  
  
So they weren't suffering.  
  
But Holly was.  
  
She couldn't help but think this was terribly unfair. After all she had gone through, from being the center of sexist and prejudiced fairy's jokes, to almost being removed from her job, what had she gotten out of it? Nothing. Because Artemis Fowl was gone. Not dead. But gone from her life.  
  
Forever.  
  
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Holly slowly walked into Root's office, dragging her feet the whole way.  
  
"You wanted to see me, Commander?" she asked wearily.  
  
Root eyed her warily, puzzled. "Erm, yes. Are you all right, Captain? You look a bit under the weather."  
  
"Um, yeah. I'm fine," Holly replied lamely.  
  
Root looked skeptical. "Hmph. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about . . . some things."  
  
Holly was confused. "Uh, okay. Sure, Commander."  
  
"First of all: what in the name of Frond is WRONG with you, Holly?!" he yelled.  
  
Holly lifted her head, hazel eyes half-lidded. She sighed. "Nothing, sir."  
  
Root snorted. "Yeah. Sure. Nothing. Right. OUT WITH IT, CAPTAIN!"  
  
The LEP captain just shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing is wrong with me."  
  
The red-faced commander clicked a button next to the speakers. "FOALY!" he barked into the speakers, "GET OVER HERE NOW, YOU LAZY PONY!"  
  
Holly raised one eyebrow. "What do you want with Foaly?"  
  
Root just glared at her. He didn't respond.  
  
After waiting a few minutes in uncomfortable silence, Foaly trudged into the office. "What do want, Julius?" he asked, angry at being interrupted.  
  
"Tell me what the D'Arvit is wrong with Captain Short!" he shouted.  
  
"Who am I, your PSYCHOLOGIST?" Foaly asked, surprised. "How should I know what the D'Arvit is wrong with Holly?!"  
  
"NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME!"  
  
"Shut up, Captain! And that's a direct order!" Root spat. "Foaly, you have all sorts of silly little machines. Are you telling me you have none that could possibly HELP US IN THIS DILEMMA?"  
  
"THIS ISN'T A DILEMMA!" Holly yelled. "I-AM-PERFECTLY-FINE!"  
  
Foaly stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Erm . . . Root? If you don't mind me saying, the answer is right in front of your nose."  
  
"No smart comments, Foaly," Root growled threateningly. "Just tell me what the D'Arvit is wrong with her!"  
  
Foaly groaned in exasperation. He leaned down and whispered in Root's very red ear, "My ingenious truth potion!"  
  
Root stared at Foaly. "Your-excuse me-truth POTION? HAHAHA!" Root burst into laughter. Holly still hadn't heard about the truth potion.  
  
Foaly scowled. "It's very effective. I'll prove it to you."  
  
"Fine," Root muttered. "Prove it to me, Pony-boy."  
  
Holly eyed the two warily. Nothing was wrong with her, D'Arvit!  
  
Root cleared his throat. "Ahem. Holly, Foaly needs to go and-uh-fetch something from the operations booth."  
  
Sever minutes later, Foaly reappeared with a clear glass bottle in his hands.  
  
Holly didn't like the looks of the bottle. "What the heck is that?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Foaly said innocently. "Just one of my new inventions."  
  
"Which is . . ."  
  
"It's a kind of beverage that will make the drinker relax," Foaly lied through his teeth. "I want you to drink some."  
  
"Drink it, Holly," Root said sternly.  
  
Now, Holly knew that not a word of it was true. But it's not like she could disobey the commander. So she reached for the bottle, pulled out the cork, and took a swig. Immediately she fell unconscious.  
  
"What now?" Root asked.  
  
"We just ask her a few questions," Foaly explained. He snapped in front of Holly's face, and she woke up. However, the truth potion's effects were still over her. She had a very blank expression on her face.  
  
"Now, Holly," Foaly said soothingly, "do you mind telling us why you've been so depressed lately?"  
  
Holly stared straight ahead at the wall behind her two associated. "There's something missing," she said quietly, "something missing from my heart. I miss Artemis. I think I'm falling in love with him. I haven't even admitted it to myself yet. But he doesn't remember me. He never will. The others are glad he's gone. Root, Foaly, Trouble, Grub, Chix, the Council-they don't care a wit about him. I miss him. I think I love him."  
  
Both Root's and Foaly's mouths dropped open in shock. But Holly wasn't finished yet.  
  
"There's no hope. He's gone forever. We destroyed every last bit of stimuli that could bring his memory back. The dreams. I keep having the dreams. Artemis is there. He's mad at me. Mad at me because I let them take his memory away. Then, he doesn't even know who I am. It's all my fault. I hate the dreams. How can I go to work and do an efficient job when I think I'm in love with a Mud Boy who doesn't even remember one thing about me? A Mud Boy all of my friends hate? A Mud Boy everyone but me is glad to be rid of?"  
  
Root and Foaly were by now extraordinarily surprised. They had never expected something like this from Holly.  
  
"Sometimes I want to break all the rules. I want to go up aboveground, fly to Fowl Manor, barge into his room, and wrap my arms around him. Then he'd remember. I want to run my hands through his dark hair; stare into those blue eyes; but I can't. A human and a fairy could never be like that. It would never work out. And all of my friends, all of my fairy friends I have worked so hard to earn, would shun me."  
  
The commander and technical wizard were both starting to feel very sick. Not because of the mushiness of it-but because Holly had to suffer. She was right. A Mud Man and elf could never be together. And suddenly, they felt more sorry for her than they ever had before.  
  
"I love him so much. Even though he kidnapped me. He has a heart. He's proved that to me so many times . . ."  
  
"No," Root croaked, "I don't want to hear anymore. I've heard enough."  
  
Foaly nodded, speechless. This time he clapped in front of Holly's face, and she came back to reality.  
  
"Why are you two staring at me like that?" she asked uneasily.  
  
"Uh . . ."  
  
"Erm . . ."  
  
Holly was extremely annoyed. "What the heck is WRONG with you two?" she asked, disgusted, and started to get up and head for the door. Suddenly, she felt an arm on her shoulder.  
  
"Holly," Root said seriously, "um . . . I wish we could do something about it."  
  
Now Holly was thoroughly mystified. What on EARTH was he talking about. "Erm, come again?"  
  
"We're sorry, Holly," Foaly said quietly.  
  
Holly furrowed her brow. She looked down at the bottle, and noticed something she hadn't noticed before. A very tiny label, with the words FOALY'S TRUTH POTION written on it in ink.  
  
Holly stared in disbelief. She looked from Foaly, to the potion, to Root, and back to Foaly again.  
  
"No," she whispered. "NO! NO WAY IN HELL! I DID NOT TELL YOU-OH D'ARVIT D'ARVIT D'ARVIT!!"  
  
Root and Foaly backed away slowly.  
  
"NO!" she yelled hysterically. "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH ANYONE! LEAST OF ALL ARTEMIS FOWL! NOOO!"  
  
Root and Foaly exchanged a look, then left her to scream her heart out in the office.  
  
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A/N: I'm sorry if Holly seems OOC; she's supposed to be, because she's kind of depressed and unsure of herself at the moment. Sorry about the stupid potion thing. My creativity is NOT kicking in right now. Please read and review! Next chappie: ARTEMIS! Muwahaha . . . 


	2. A New Contact

~ Drowning ~  
  
A/N: Helloooo again. Hope you enjoyed the first chappie. Sorry if it seemed incredibly rushed. Thanks for the reviews, everyone!!  
  
Umm . . . about the title of this fic. Well, uh, all I can see is, you'll see.  
  
Disclaimer: Look for one of these in the first chapter.  
  
CHAPTER TWO +++ A New Contact  
  
Artemis Fowl II was fifteen years old, and he hadn't changed a bit-except for the fact that he was taller. Same pale skin, same black hair, same blue eyes. Same cool demeanor, same attitude, same intelligence. Same everything.  
  
For Artemis, the last few years was a blur. A very confusing blur. He remembered his father being missing, then his father being rescued, but those were the only clear things left. What else significant had happened? Well . . . he had been sent to St. Bartleby's when he was thirteen. His mother had somehow, almost magically, reclaimed her sanity when he was twelve. But nothing else important had happened . . . not that he could remember, anyway.  
  
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ARTEMIS FOWL'S DIARY, DISK 4, (ENCRYPTED)  
  
I wonder where my father picked up the ridiculous notion of being a hero; that gold isn't the most important thing. How could he even begin to think that? Gold Is Power. Our family motto. How could he forget that?  
  
Maybe he hasn't forgotten. Maybe he wants to forget. But why?  
  
I'm upset that he's disappointed in me, disappointed in me for carrying on his criminal empire while he was missing. I don't understand this. I thought he would be proud.  
  
Juliet is still obsessed with her "Princess Jade" wrestling nonsense. Butler seems . . . so different . . . like he's older or something. I've noticed this for the past several years, but it just happened so . . . suddenly. And he's only forty-two, but he moves like he's fifty-seven!  
  
I suppose he's just losing his touch. I think I'm losing my touch as well. There is something missing, something very important, from my life. Something that used to be there, but isn't anymore. I don't know where this feeling came from; I'm just hoping it will pass.  
  
I am trying to follow in my father's footsteps - the heroic ones. So I have temporarily forgotten my criminal enterprises. As soon as father regains his senses, I'll go back to my thieving, illegal ways. I only hope Butler is up to it.  
  
In a week's time, Butler and I are going to meet a new contact of mine, Mel Diggs. This will be my last out-of-town meeting before I lay low with my father for a bit. It's odd . . . Mr. Diggs was the one who arranged the meeting, not me. Apparently, he has something very important to share with me. I'd best be on my guard. For some reason, I'm scared for Butler.  
  
What on earth is wrong with me?  
  
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FOWL MANOR, IRELAND  
  
Artemis and his bodyguard, Butler, were preparing to leave for Paris, France, where Artemis was to meet his newest contact, Mel Diggs.  
  
"What do you propose we bring, Artemis?" the manservant asked his charge.  
  
For some odd reason, Artemis looked slightly uneasy. "Erm, weapons of course. And . . . um . . ."  
  
Butler stared at Artemis. This was very out of character for the boy, to be so uncertain. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"What? Of course, Butler. I'm absolutely fine."  
  
"Whatever you say, Artemis."  
  
Juliet Butler flounced down the stairs, her wrestling bag slung over her shoulder. "Bye, bro. See ya, Arty. I'm off to a wrestling match!"  
  
"Be careful, Juliet," Butler cautioned. "You're still very young, and not as strong as these guys."  
  
"Please," Juliet snorted. "I'm twenty. I'm gonna win. Relax. PRINCESS JADE STRIKES AGAIN!" she yelled as she ran out the front door.  
  
Usually, Artemis would roll his eyes at such immature behavior. But not today. He looked like he was somewhere else entirely.  
  
"Um . . . Artemis?"  
  
Artemis blinked. "What?"  
  
Butler furrowed his brow. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yes. Of course. Let us depart."  
  
With his eyebrows still raised questioningly, Butler followed Artemis out the front door. Something was evidently wrong with the boy. Must be something to do with being a teenager, Butler reasoned. But Juliet had never acted like that.  
  
Butler mentally smacked himself on the head. DUH Juliet had never acted like that! Juliet and Artemis were two completely different people. Butler sighed. He worried for his charge.  
  
And, for some odd reason, he worried for himself.  
  
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PARIS, FRANCE  
  
Artemis seated himself at a small table in the corner of the café. Butler took up his position standing behind the boy.  
  
"Do you have any idea why Mister Diggs could want to see us?" Artemis asked the Eurasian manservant.  
  
Butler shook his head. "Didn't you say he had something to show you?"  
  
"Yes. But how do we know that's the real reason?"  
  
"True," Butler agreed. "We'd best be on the look-out."  
  
(MEL DIGGS' POINT OF VIEW):  
  
Mel Diggs scanned the crowd of people assembled in the café. The Fowl boy had to be there somewhere. He wasn't that hard to miss, with the huge man- mountain standing guard.  
  
Mel Diggs was shorter than the average person. However, he didn't stand out. There were all sorts of dwarfs and midgets in the world these days. They weren't unusual.  
  
Mel slipped his hand in his pocket. He felt the golden disk, the coin that he had received two years ago. Artemis would want it back. Even if he didn't know he wanted it.  
  
"Mud Boy," Mel muttered under his breath. "Where are you?"  
  
(ARTEMIS FOWL'S POINT OF VIEW):  
  
Artemis looked to his right, and he saw a very short man making his way towards their table. Instantly, memories overtook the boy: dwarf, elf, fairy, sprite, gnome, goblin . . .  
  
"Huh?" Artemis said aloud.  
  
"Are you all right, Master Artemis?" Butler asked worriedly.  
  
Artemis looked away. That was strange . . . "I'm - I'm fine."  
  
Butler shifted his position so he could see his charge's face. And as he looked into those deep blue eyes, he saw . . . uncertainty? Fear? Remembrance? Whatever it was, it was very un-Artemis-like.  
  
And Butler didn't like it. Not one bit.  
  
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A/N: Sorry that was so short. OK, 3 guesses who Mel Diggs is. Teehee. Next chappie . . . REMEMBRANCE! MEMORIES! IT ALL COMES BACK! Well, it might all come back. Haven't decided yet. Ah well. REVIEW PLEASE! Oh, and I KNOW "Huh?" is a very OOC thing for Arty to say . . . but remember, just like Holly, he's not feeling like himself. THEY MUST MEET AGAIN!! R+R 


	3. Remembrance

~ DROWNING ~  
  
A/N: OMG I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE!!!! I know none of you will accept my excuses, but here they are: homework, dance, guitar, family death, depression, and an eating disorder. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!!! You have NO IDEA how sorry I am!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Arty, I would give him pointy ears. If I owned Holly, I would give her a perm. Sadly, I own neither, Eoin Colfer does, so they remain themselves.  
  
CHAPTER THREE +++ Remembrance  
  
I'm the rainbow in your jail cell  
  
All the memories of Everything you've ever smelled Not alone, I'll be there Tell me where you want to go  
  
- Don't Forget Me, by Red Hot Chili Peppers  
  
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2 DAYS LATER  
  
DIARY OF ARTEMIS FOWL III, DISK 4, (Encrypted)  
  
I can't believe it.  
  
I just simply cannot believe it.  
  
I can't even think like a normal person. My brain is disoriented, my mind is in a clutter. I feel like any moment I might just tip over from the heavy weight of thoughts racing through my head.  
  
There's one good thing to say about all this, however; my plan worked.  
  
'Which plan is this?' you must be thinking. True, this plan is not recorded here or anywhere else. Why? Because the fairies removed them.  
  
Now I know you're laughing. Fairies don't exist! Well, actually, as a matter of fact, they do. And I knew a few of them, not to long ago . . .  
  
And now I remember them. I remember all of the crazy adventures we had together, all of the bickering that ensued between us, all of the high-tech equipment they possessed, everything.  
  
All because of Mel Diggs. Or should I say, Mulch Diggums? Yes, that's right, my contact. It so happens that Mr. Diggs was not really Mr. Diggs at all. Actually, he wasn't even human. He was a dwarf. A dwarf I had known prior to my memory being erased.  
  
I remember it all now . . . they called it the Mind-Wipe, I think. Foaly, their technological wizard (he was actually a centaur), created it. And I suppose, after all the crazy things that had happened to them involving me, they didn't want to remember . . . but I did. I DID want to remember. But, of course, I was a mere Mud Boy, whose opinion wasn't appreciated when dealing with "fairy matters".  
  
I remember Root. Julius Root. All of the LEP gave him the nickname Beetroot. He smoked quite a few fungus cigars.  
  
And Foaly, of course. He was possibly the most sarcastic creature to roam the land on hooves. And his little tinfoil hat. Paranoid pony.  
  
I recall Opal Koboi, Foaly's number one rival. Conniving little pixie, she was. Always thought Foaly had a bit of a thing for her.  
  
And Cudgeon. He's not very pleasant to remember, with his odd deformities and evil attempts to kill me. Well, that was more the goblins.  
  
Ah, the goblins. Nasty. That's really all I have to say about them. Oh, and incredibly stupid.  
  
Mulch Diggums, of course. Now THERE was an honorable fairy. Never let me down ONCE. Of course, there was the minor fact that he was a kleptomaniac. But once you got past that (and his odd eating habits), he was really a very nice dwarf.  
  
The Kelp boys. Trouble and Grub. Complete opposites. I'm sure their mommy is proud of them.  
  
There was a sprite . . . Chix Verbil, I think. HUGE show-off. Especially in front of . . .  
  
. . . Holly.  
  
Holly Short. Stubborn, brave, determined, beautiful, clever, courageous Holly Short.  
  
How could ANYONE forget her?  
  
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HAVEN CITY  
  
Below ground, things were hectic. Well, for a certain Holly Short, at least. Life hadn't been going oh-so-smooth as of late, particularly because of one very annoying commander and one very annoying centaur.  
  
"Holly, maybe we can do something about it!"  
  
"Julius, you know VERY WELL that there's nothing we can do!"  
  
"Shut it, Pony-Boy!"  
  
"No way in hell, Beetroot!"  
  
"Don't listen to him, Captain! HE'S NOT RIGHT IN THE HEAD!"  
  
"Nuh uh! HOLLY, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! RUN BEFORE BEETROOT POISONS YOU WITH UNTRUE KNOWLEDGE! RUN, HOLLY, RUN!"  
  
Yes, this is what she had to deal with these days.  
  
As she stalked down the halls of the main LEP command center, followed by her two bickering comrades, she couldn't help but think that life had taken a definite turn for the worse. As a matter of fact, it was so hard to get through the day that she was considering quitting her job at the LEP.  
  
Of course, Root and Foaly didn't know about that.  
  
"Oh, come on, Foaly, WORK WITH ME HERE!"  
  
"I refuse. I have to work with you eighteen hours a day, I'd prefer to refrain from doing so during lunch hour."  
  
"DAMN CENTAUR!"  
  
"DAMN BEETROOT!"  
  
"DAMN BOTH OF YOU!" Holly yelled before running off.  
  
Root and Foaly just stood there at the end of the corridor, with blank looks on their faces.  
  
"What's up with HER?"  
  
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FOWL MANOR, IRELAND  
  
Butler climbed the main staircase of Fowl Manor, whistling to himself as he went. True, the last couple of days had been somewhat chaotic, but he felt he had something to whistle for.  
  
He and Master Artemis remembered.  
  
Butler smiled. To him, it was the best feeling in the world to have his thoughts rearranged and put back together again in the correct order, with relevant thoughts and memories that had been missing before imprinted into his mind again.  
  
Juliet was still away wrestling somewhere or other. Butler wasn't sure whether he would allow her to view the disk that Mr. Diggums had brought, made to look like a coin, the coin that Holly Short had given to Artemis Fowl in a first show of friendship two and a half years ago.  
  
Butler furrowed his brow. Artemis had certainly been acting strange as of late. He hadn't eaten since his memory had been recovered, and he hadn't spoken a word. Although Butler's main priority was to protect his charge from outward danger, he felt it his duty to defend the teenager from emotional problems as well. However, he couldn't do this if he didn't know what the problem WAS.  
  
Mulch was staying at Fowl Manor for a bit. Artemis II and Angeline were on a vacation in Versailles, France, and weren't expected to return for another two weeks. Mulch was currently roaming the grounds somewhere, probably delving into the earth for lunch. Butler remembered his first unpleasant encounter with Mulch Diggums, and grimaced at the thought.  
  
Artemis was locked up in his room. Butler figured he was probably still typing away on his laptop, in that diary of his. Butler remembered being fifteen, and how different his life had been from Artemis's. Maybe that's why he sometimes found it hard to communicate with the boy. Their lives were nearly a world apart.  
  
But as he passed by Artemis's room, and heard the faint whisper of "Holly" as the boy laid his head down on the keyboard, Butler realized he'd have to do something about it.  
  
Because Artemis needed him.  
  
Or did he need Holly?  
  
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A/N: Sorry about the incredible shortness. I'll get the next chappie up ASAP.  
  
Oh, and I'm thinking about starting a Drowning Mailing List. Do you guys think this would be a good idea? Tell me in your reviews, and if there's a mailing list, if you want to be enlisted in it!!!!! R+R 


	4. Good Tidings We Bring

~ DROWNING ~  
  
A/N: OMG, this chappie is SO LATE!!! UGH!  
  
It's.DUN DUN DUN.chapter four! YAY! And guess what? IT'S CHRISTMAS- ORIENTED! Heh, sorry, I'm just in a happy Christmas-y mood . . . teehee. ^^  
  
Oh jeez, everyone is like SO OOC in this chapter . . . god help me and my poor writing skills.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Dude, I do NOT own Arty's laptop. ARTEMIS owns his laptop. And I don't own Artemis. HOLLY owns Artemis. And I don't own Holly. ROOT owns Holly. And I don't own Root. FOALY owns Root. And I don't own Foaly. BUTLER owns Foaly. And I don't own Butler. EOIN COLFER owns Butler. And last, but not least-I don't own Eoin Colfer. Sniff. So sad.  
  
CHAPTER FOUR +++ Good Tidings We Bring  
  
HAVEN CITY, LOWER ELEMENTS  
  
4 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS  
  
Admittedly, the holiday season had brightened Holly's attitude considerably. She was kept busy shopping for her friends and family, and had even purchased gifts for Root, Foaly, the Kelps, and Chix. She had gotten permission from Root to journey above grown to cut down a nice little tree, and she had gotten out her mother's old ornaments and decorated it herself.  
  
On the last day of work before the holiday break, Root was in a surprisingly good mood.  
  
"Good morning, Captain!"  
  
Holly eyed Root with something bordering on fear in her eyes. "Um . . . hello . . ."  
  
"Fine day, isn't it? The sun is shining, not a cloud in sight!"  
  
Holly felt it best not to mention the fact that they were underground. "Yes, sir. Fine day."  
  
Root leaned back in his chair, chewing cheerfully on a fungus cigar. "This is my favorite time of year, you know!"  
  
Holly wasn't aware Root had a favorite time of year. "Mine too, sir."  
  
"I just love everything about the holiday season! Everyone's so happy! And bouncy! And cheerful! And energetic! I love it all! Although Chix Verbil jumping on my desk and performing a hyped-up version of 'Jingle Bells' was a bit much . . ."  
  
Holly blinked.  
  
"Oh, and the FOOD! Christmas pastries are absolutely SPLENDID. My grandmother always used to make the best! On Christmas Eve, we'd always have buttered lobster and shrimp, with this EXCELLENT cocktail sauce! Then, on Christmas Day, we'd have BEEF! Can you believe it? BEEF! The best beef I ever tasted! EVER! Now, that was some pretty damn good beef."  
  
Holly raised one eyebrow. She was deeply disturbed.  
  
"You know, me and my cousins tried to kidnap Santa once. It didn't turn out very well, considering the fact that we knocked over the tree and a piece of fruitcake sitting on the mantel hit me in the noggin. But besides that one unfortunate event . . . CHRISTMAS IS GREAT!! But it's so UNDERRATED down here underground. I really just don't get it! I mean, who couldn't love the presents, and the Christmas music, and those really yummy little-"  
  
"Commander?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
The clomping of hooves reached their ears as the door opened. "Ooh, did I just hear someone telling Julius to shut up? Oh, I am SO there!"  
  
Holly backed away slowly. Even FOALY was acting happy.  
  
"Oh, hello there Holly."  
  
"Erm . . . hi, Foaly." Holly sighed, sinking into a chair. "I came to ask you something, Commander."  
  
"Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Root grumbled. "What is it?"  
  
"I was wondering if you two would like to come over to my place on Christmas Eve for dinner," Holly said slowly. Oh, I just know I'm gonna regret this, she thought darkly.  
  
Both Root and Foaly brightened.  
  
"Sure thing, Captain!"  
  
"A dinner party? I am SO there!"  
  
Holly, needless to say, was scared.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
FOWL MANOR, IRELAND  
  
2 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS  
  
Juliet hummed softly to herself as she hung the small golden fairy ornament on the Fowl's huge tree. She admired the way the lights reflected off of the little fairy, making it sparkle and shimmer. Juliet giggled to herself. It almost looked real!  
  
She was standing on a very tall ladder in the entry hall, putting up the last of the ornaments. Angeline Fowl was on the floor, sorting through the large amount of gifts already gathered there. Mulch was still in the cellar, probably just sitting there sulking. Butler was wrapping a garland around the banister of the staircase. He looked out the window, seeing that the grounds were covered in a blanket of white snow. Splendid, he thought to himself, now Fowl Manor looks like a Hallmark card.  
  
Juliet skipped happily down the ladder, continuing her humming. "Tralala!"  
  
Butler looked at his sister in disbelief. Was she SINGING?  
  
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la! 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la!"  
  
The only ears that Juliet's cheerful voice didn't reach belonged to one Artemis Fowl. His long, black winter coat contrasted against the white snow as he strolled along, a scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. He was doing what he did best; thinking.  
  
But now, unlike usual, his thoughts were muddled. Everyone and everything reminded him somehow of Holly, her auburn hair, her hazel eyes, her confident grin. And he couldn't ignore the fact that he would not be spending this Christmas with her. Or any other Christmas in the future, for that matter.  
  
He wanted to see her again. He knew that there was no way to do this; attempting to travel underground would be very dangerous, and even if he made it, he'd be mindwiped again. He couldn't take that risk, the risk of forgetting Holly all over again.  
  
Snowflakes were caught in his dark hair, as more continued to swirl around him. Bet they don't have snow underground, he thought, sighing. Artemis lifted his face towards the sky, taking in its grayish hue, blue eyes glancing over the clouds obstructing the sun.  
  
Was there anything he could do?  
  
Artemis considered freezing to death. That might help solve a few of his problems. But no; dying would only be like giving up. Like running away.  
  
And Artemis Fowl never ran way.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
HAVEN CITY, LOWER ELEMENTS  
  
CHRISTMAS EVE  
  
"This hot chocolate's good."  
  
Holly nodded absently, clutching her blue mug, staring in the fire. What was Artemis doing right now? Probably reading a book, or trying to hack into some important official government database. Maybe even opening gifts. And what was she, Holly, doing? Moping.  
  
"Holly, stop moping."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Yes you are. You're staring at the fire with a petulant look on your face, being utterly quiet and antisocial. That's considered moping."  
  
Sometimes Holly hated that centaur. "Whatever, Foaly."  
  
Root was eying Holly with scrutiny, a knowing look on his face. "Thinking about . . . certain issues?"  
  
Holly just glared at Root. "Not thinking about anything, thank you very much."  
  
Root sighed. "Look, Holly . . ."  
  
The elf turned away. She'd had enough of their sympathy.  
  
"Foaly and I have a present for you . . ."  
  
Oh joy. A present.  
  
"We think you really deserve it, what with all you've been going through lately . . ."  
  
Holly turned back toward her comrades. They both looked a bit nervous.  
  
"So . . . without further delay . . . here." Root extended his arm to Holly, a piece of yellow paper in his hand.  
  
Holly took it curiously, leaning in further to see what it was. "A warrant to go aboveground?"  
  
"Erm . . . yes." Root shifted uncomfortably as Foaly munched on a gingerbread cookie.  
  
Holly bit her lip. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
Foaly finished chewing and swallowing his cookie, then placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Go to him, Holly."  
  
Holly's hazel eyes widened.  
  
"Go to him."  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
FOWL MANOR, IRELAND  
  
CHRISTMAS EVE  
  
Finally. Holly had made it.  
  
She zoomed a little lower, and then made sure she was properly shielded. Holly scanned the grounds below, checking for any sign of the man mountain, Butler. Negative. It was much too late for anyone to be outside. Holly shivered, a few snowflakes falling into her hair.  
  
Holly lowered herself further and further, until she was right beside Artemis's bedroom window. She peered in through the frosty glass. Holly blinked. He wasn't there.  
  
Holly noticed, with a great deal of surprise, that the window was slightly open. Strange, she thought. He's smarter than that.  
  
She hesitantly opened the window a bit wider. When no alarms went off, she switched off her Hummingbird wings and slipped through the window.  
  
As she had seen through the glass, the room was empty. Holly frowned. Where could Artemis be?  
  
She tiptoed out the door, then headed down the staircase. Still shielded? Affirmative.  
  
Holly gazed up at the huge Christmas tree in awe. "Must've been expensive," she muttered, eyes traveling down towards the large pile of gifts beneath the branches.  
  
"It was."  
  
Holly spun around quickly.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat. Artemis. Just . . . Artemis. Standing there, in a dark blue bathrobe, blue eyes soft, dark hair tousled. The picture of perfection.  
  
Holly unshielded.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Captain Short," Artemis said, a small smile tugging at his lips.  
  
Holly gaped. "You . . . you remember me?"  
  
Artemis chuckled softly. "Of course I remember you. Who could forget?"  
  
Holly couldn't believe it. He remembered. He remembered HER. "But . . . how?"  
  
"Seems a certain friend of yours, one Mister Diggums, felt the irrepressible need to refresh my memory," Artemis replied, eyes alight with laughter.  
  
Holly grinned. Mulch. Of course.  
  
Artemis took a step closer. And another step. And then another. Until he was standing right in front of Holly, inches away from the petite elf.  
  
"It's been a long time, Holly."  
  
Holly nodded, willing herself to look up at his face. "Yes . . ."  
  
"I missed you."  
  
Holly looked up into his eyes. Blue. That was all she saw. An endless ocean of blue. She was being pulled into that ocean, further and further, drowning in its depths. Drowning . . .  
  
Artemis's eyes flickered upward. "Mistletoe."  
  
Holly followed his gaze. "Yes," she said faintly.  
  
Artemis took one more step forward.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
A/N: MUWAHAHAHA! That was fun.  
  
THIS FIC IS NOT OVER. I REPEAT, THIS FIC IS NOT OVER.  
  
Review please! 


	5. Living in a Fantasy

~ DROWNING ~  
  
A/N: o.O WHOA . . . I didn't know you guys hated cliffies so much . . . believe me, if I had known, I would have never even HEADED in that direction. Heh. My most sincere apologies.  
  
Sorry it took so long. You know me, I just don't update too fast. Gotta wait for inspiration to strike.  
  
And yeah, I'm sorry, but one thing you must unfortunately accept about this poor excuse for a fic is that I don't have a lot of time to update. Time is pretty much the only thing I don't have. But I shall try my hardest to update ASAP, I swear!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: . . . I'm LAZY . . .  
  
CHAPTER FIVE +++ Living in a Fantasy  
  
Way down under, Root and Foaly were getting bored.  
  
"Foaly, why isn't Holly back yet?"  
  
"She's probably snogging the socks off of Fowl, sir."  
  
"Foaly, when do you think she'll be back?"  
  
"Probably never, sir."  
  
"Foaly, where IS Holly?"  
  
"Aboveground, dumbass."  
  
Root exploded.  
  
"I WILL NOT TOLERATE BEING SPOKEN TO AS SUCH BY A LOWLY CENTAUR LIKE YOURSELF! I ORDER YOU TO APOLOGIZE, YOU NANCY-PANCY PUFFED-UP CYNICAL LITTLE PONY!"  
  
"Well, excuuuuuse me for living," Foaly grumbled, turning away from the commander. "And I'm not a pony."  
  
"You're a pony if I say you're a pony."  
  
"I'm sorry, Julius, but that is nonsensical logic."  
  
"DON'T CALL ME JULIUS!"  
  
"How about Beetroot?"  
  
"NOT THAT EITHER!"  
  
"But Julius! It's CHRISTMAS! 'Tis the season to be jolly! 'Tis the season to be merry! 'Tis the season to call your commanding officers by their given names!"  
  
"Shut it, Foaly."  
  
"Come on, Julius! Succumb to the joyous merriment! Embrace the Christmas cheer! EMBRACE IT, I TELL YOU!"  
  
"Foaly..."  
  
"EMBRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE—oof!"  
  
Root grinned in satisfaction as he dusted off his hands, surveying the unconscious centaur sprawled on the floor. Oh, how he loved Christmas.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Artemis closed the distance between them, and Holly wasn't drowning anymore. She was floating, her spirit soaring high above the rest of the world, suspended in time by this overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness.  
  
Judging by the fact that Artemis hadn't halted their extremely un-Orthodox activities just yet, she thought that he was probably floating too.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
She was wrong.  
  
Artemis wasn't floating. He was hovering, torn between elation and uncertainty. On one hand, he was kissing Holly. That was more than he could have ever hoped for. On the other hand, Holly was an elf. A fairy. Who was, in all probability, not even supposed to be aboveground at all, let alone kissing a Mud Boy at midnight beneath the mistletoe.  
  
He smiled into the kiss. He didn't care if she was a fairy, he didn't care if she was breaking the rules, because she was Holly.  
  
And Holly, quite frankly, was all he needed.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
"She's not back yet."  
  
"Don't you think I KNOW that?" Root growled.  
  
Foaly shrugged, leaning back as he held the icepack to his bruised forehead. "You could be arrested for physically abusing one of your coworkers."  
  
Root snorted. "You, Foaly, are not my coworker. A technological wizard, yes. A self-proclaimed genius, yes. A pain in the ass, yes. But you are NOT, I repeat NOT, my coworker."  
  
"Your words wound me, Julius."  
  
"Go stuff your face in a fish bowl or something, Foaly."  
  
Foaly blinked. A...fish bowl?  
  
"Julius, are you drunk?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
Foaly flashed an evil grin. "What say we go take a quick look around Holly's kitchen, eh?"  
  
"God, yes," Root groaned, rising to his feet. "I need alcohol."  
  
"Let's go find some, then," Foaly said brightly, skipping off into the kitchen.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Holly pulled away abruptly, immediately coming to her senses. This was WRONG. Wrong on so many levels. He was a human, she was an elf. He was fifteen, she was eighty. He was five foot six, she was two feet shorter. He practically had to bend himself into a pretzel to kiss her, for god's sake!  
  
"What's wrong?" Artemis asked, worry clouding his eyes.  
  
"Everything," Holly whispered, turning away. "Everything about this is wrong."  
  
Artemis knew what she was thinking. "Holly, don't—"  
  
"We can't do this," she said quietly, eyes lowered.  
  
"Why, because we're different?" Artemis retorted. "I didn't think you would care about that."  
  
"I don't. Hell, I could care less. But...it's just never happened before! A Mud Man and a fairy! How am I supposed to know what to do? I mean, you're standing there, you, Artemis, and I KNOW I feel something for you, but...I also know that I'm not SUPPOSED to feel this way." Holly kept her eyes firmly glued to the floor.  
  
Artemis was frowning. "Not supposed to? And who sets these rules?"  
  
Holly lifted her gaze, eyes steely, voice firm. "This just isn't how things are supposed to be."  
  
"If I'm not mistaken, YOU were the one who risked everything to come see ME," Artemis pointed out, one eyebrow raised as he crossed his arms.  
  
"Yes, well, I didn't think you would actually REMEMBER me, did I?" Holly said, slightly hysterical.  
  
Artemis grabbed her shoulders. "Holly, LISTEN to me. It's not wrong. As a matter of fact, there's never been anything more right in the world. Believe me. I'm the genius here, remember? I should know."  
  
"Oh, as if you would know about things like—like LOVE," Holly said, noting with shame that her eyes were beginning to get rather teary.  
  
"I do, actually," Artemis replied, deadly serious. "I know a lot bout things like love."  
  
Holly had to get out of here. Before she went crazy and did something completely stupid, like jump Artemis. "I'm going," she muttered as she turned away.  
  
She supposed she probably shouldn't feel so disappointed that he didn't follow.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
"I think—hic—we, erhgh, um—hic—had a little too muuuch to—hic—drink."  
  
"Whadda ya talkin' about, centaur? I'm just gettin'—hic—started!"  
  
"Juuuuuuuulius."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How're we suppooorsed ter—hic—get home?"  
  
"Why you askin' me, Fo—hic—Foaly?"  
  
"Dunno."  
  
"Ah. 'Kay."  
  
"Teehee."  
  
"..."  
  
"Yer a—hic—beeeetroot, Jules!"  
  
"First, don' call me—hic—beetroot, ya ingrateful lil'—hic—pony. Second, don' call me—hic—Jules."  
  
"Okie dokie arti—hic—chokie. Yer the bossman."  
  
"And don't you—hic—forget it."  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
A/N: So, sadness in the world of A/H. But that is SO not the end for them. Yes, Holly is making a BIIIIG mistake and going on back to Haven, but...she will learn. And Artemis will make a journey of his own. ^^  
  
So, next chappie will DEFINITELY be up within the next month or so (I'm going to Paris soon and I might have time to work on it then), probably less than that. I just need time to develop the plot a bit more.  
  
Read and review, my friends. I love you all. 


	6. Butler

DROWNING

A/N: FINALLY! I am back. Sorry bout that folks, I was at a treatment center for anorexia…they didn't let me use the computer there. SO SORRY. Forgive me, my friends.

CHAPTER SIX Butler

Time seemed to slow down for Artemis as Holly bit her lip and slowly turned away, her eyes filled with sadness and regret. Artemis stood rooted to the spot as Holly walked out of the room and out the front door and out of his life.

He didn't follow.

'Arty – Merry Christmas, darling! Love, Mother and Father.'

Artemis threw the card aside in disgust. How could his mother use the word "love" so lightly? How could she not see that he was drowning in something so deep that he couldn't get out of it?

Well, no matter. His mother had always been somewhat oblivious to how Artemis was really feeling. Which, Artemis reminded himself, was more his fault than hers. He just didn't express his emotions. That wasn't what a genius was supposed to do.

"Artemis?"

"Butler," Artemis acknowledged, keeping his eyes on the large Christmas tree in front of him.

Butler came around on Artemis's left side, stepping over the large, haphazard piles of gifts. He had been watching the boy from the stairs, seeing the looks of sadness and pain that crossed his usually expressionless face. He had always been able to tell when something was wrong with Artemis, but this time he knew it went beyond a snag in a plan or a technological difficulty. Something was going on INSIDE of Artemis, something quite different from the usual mathematical computations and strategic thoughts.

"She came, didn't she," Butler said softly. It wasn't a question.

Artemis turned towards Butler. "Yes."

Butler surveyed his charge carefully, taking in the dark circles under his eyes and his unkempt hair. He looked exhausted. "Why did she leave?"

"You know why." Artemis's voice was cold.

Well, that was true. Butler did know why. "And you didn't go after her."

"I didn't go after her," Artemis repeated quietly, closing his eyes.

"Why not?"

Even though Artemis had been expecting the question, he wasn't prepared for it. It was one of the few questions in the world that he didn't know the answer to. "I don't know."

Butler nodded. "I understand."

Artemis furrowed his brow. "How can you understand? Nothing like this has ever happened to you before. You're a grown man, I'm a fifteen-year-old boy. There's no way that you could understand."

"As a matter of fact," Butler said quietly, "I know exactly how you feel."

Artemis looked up at him and asked one question. "How?"

"You're not the only one who has ever been in love, Artemis."

Artemis blinked. Butler? In love? "But…you…?"

Butler smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Yes, even I am capable of falling for a woman. Did you think it wasn't possible?"

"Possible, yes," Artemis answered, still shocked. "Likely, no."

When Butler smiled this time, he meant it. "Unlikely as it may be, it happened. I fell in love."

Artemis vaguely registered in the back of his mind that he and Butler had never had this kind of talk before, and that perhaps he had better stop the conversation now, but his curiosity was too strong. "Who was she?"

"A bodyguard. Like me."

Artemis tried to imagine Butler with a girlfriend and failed. "And?"

Butler sighed. "And it didn't work out. She found another man. One who was handsomer, stronger, more powerful. A man who would give her whatever she desired, whether it be diamonds or gold or gifts or power. And I couldn't give her any of those things. So she left me."

"Oh," was all Artemis could think to say.

"Yes," Butler murmured, turning his gaze towards the frost covered window.

"I'm…sorry," Artemis said, looking away. He didn't dare ask what had happened.

The pair stood in silence for a few minutes, both thinking about the one they were meant to be with, and all of the reasons that it couldn't be. Artemis had never once considered that Butler had ever been in love. He wasn't really the type. But now that he knew, he wondered why it hadn't occurred to him before. No one was immune to love, not even masterminds or bodyguards.

"You and Holly," Butler said abruptly, breaking Artemis out of his reverie. "You two still have a chance. Adeline and I—we blew our chance. But you? You haven't blown it yet." Butler placed his massive hands on Artemis's shoulders and turned the boy to face him. "Don't blow it, Artemis. Don't give up the chance to be with the person you love, no matter what stands in the way. I gave up. And I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I don't want you to regret it."

And with that, Butler walked away, leaving Artemis to wonder whether his chance might already be wasted.

A/N: Sorry it wasn't very long. Hope you all liked. Again, sorry for the delay.


End file.
